Pole driver



March 31, 1970 L. N. HAMBRICK 3,503,458

POLE DRIVER Filed March 27, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I FIG. 4

INVENTOR LESTER N. HAMBRICK @ZMQMQW ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

I In

March 31, 1970 Filed March 27. 1968 March 31, 1970 N. HAMBRlCK 3,503,453

POLE DRIVER Filed March 27, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 -II8 FIG. 6

76 O O a K I26 0 I07 34 I20 0 l 8 26 March 31,- 1970 L. N. HAMBRICK 3,503,458

POLE DRIVER Filed March 27, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Oflice 3,503,458 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 3,503,458 POLE DRIVER Lester N. Hambrick, P.O. Box 176, Irving, Tex. 75060 Filed Mar. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 716,588 Int. Cl. E01b 2/.00; E02d 7/08, 7/16 US. Cl. 17319 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a machine for performing pole driving operations along the right of way of a railroad, and more particularly relates to a hydraulically operated pole driver for railroad maintenance.

Driving logs vertically into the rail bed to prevent the lateral movement thereof is a general maintenance operation carried out along the right of way of a railroad. The usual pole driver employs a heavy hammer which is raised to a driving position and allowed to fall under the force of gravity on a pole being driven into the ground. In the past, the hammer has been raised by means of a draw works that includes a drum on which a hoisting cable connected to the hammer is wound. After the hammer has been lifted to the driving position, the drum is released to rotate freely, thereby permitting the hammer to fall under the force of gravity. As the hammer falls, the drum momentum increases and will continue to rotate after the hammer has contacted the driven pole. The lifting cable becomes slack and frequently entangles in the supporting frame.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pole driver wherein the lifting cable is maintained taut during the free falling operation of a pole driving hammer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pole driver wherein the derrick is maintained in a substantially vertical position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pole driver wherein the hammer is lifted hydraulically.

In accordance with a specific embodiment of the invention, a derrick is pivotally mounted to be maintained substantially vertically oriented by means of hydraulic cylinders. The derrick includes guides for a hammer that is lifted to a driving position by means of a hydraulically driven block and tackle. The moving block of the tackle moves in a cage from an upper limit to a lower limit by application of hydraulic pressure to a cylinder. The lower limit of the movable block places the hammer in a pole driving position. As the hammer falls, the heavy movable block maintains the lifting cable tight, thereby eliminating cable slack. To permit pole driving on both sides of a right of way, a lifting turntable is provided which lifts the entire pole driving unit from the tracks and the unit can then be rotated through 360. This lifting and rotating mechanism is also useful for removing the unit from the tracks to allow passage of a train.

A more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from the following specification and claims and from the accompanying drawings illustrative of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side view of a pole driving unit employing a hydraulic hammer lift;

FIGURE .2 is a front view of the pole driving unit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the derrick lowering mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a side view showing the upper portion of the derrick rotated to a horizontal position to meet clearance limits along a railway right of way;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of the hydraulically operated block and tackle hammer lifting device;

FIGURE 6 is a partial rear view of the movable block cage shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view partially cut away and partially in section showing the lifting and rotating mechanism of the unit shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view partially cut away and partially in section of the lower derrick showing the lead positioning mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT and movable along said track.

The main frame 14, which consists of a plurality of spaced I-beams, as shown in FIGURE 8, welded to a peripheral I-beam structure, forms a base for a subframe 16. The subframe 16 is mounted to the main frame 14 through a plurality of shock absorbers 18. Typically, the shock absorbers are rubber mounts that provide a resilient coupling between the actual operating structure and the substructure. The shock absorbers 18 are arranged in pairs along both sides and the front and back, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

A gasoline or diesel powered engine 20, mounted to the subframe 16 and driving a hydraulic pump (not shown) supplies power for the pole driving mechanism and for the running gear 10. The hydraulic pump is of a standard design and delivers pressurized hydraulic fluid from a storage tank 21 to a control console 24 through an arrangement of hydraulic lines 23. A plurality of control levers in the console 24 serves to direct the pressurized hydraulic fluid to the various operating components. Each of the control levers actuates a valve to permit the passage of hydraulic fluid to or from the various hydraulically operated components of the unit about to be described.

Fuel for the engine 20 is stored in a tank 22 bolted or otherwise connected to the main frame 14. This tank serves the dual purpose of storing fuel and acting as a counterbalance to stabilize the unit.

A box-like frame, including vertical I-beams 26 and 30, slant I-beams 32 and 34, and horizontal I-beams 28 and 36, all welded to the subframe 16, provides support for the pole driving mechanism. The box-like frame also includes numerous cross beams (not shown) to complete a heavy support structure. Welded to the top front cross member 36, also shown in FIGURE 3, are pivot plates 38 and 39 providing a pivotal mounting for a derrick 40. The pivotal mounting for the derrick 40 includes hinge plates 42 and 44 rotatably mounted with respect to the pivot plates 38 and 39 in one of two positions by means of a shaft 46. When operating on a railroad bed having- 8-foot ties, the shaft 46 is assembled into the positioning hole of the hinge plates 42 and 44 as shown. However, if 9-foot ties are used, the shaft 46 is assembled into the positioning hole 47, thereby moving the derrick 40 farther from the support frame. The hinge plates 42 and 44 are welded to a bracket 50 which in turn is welded to the lower half 48 of the derrick 40. Brackets 52 and 54 are individually pinned to respective hinge plates 42 and 44 and attached to the upper half 56 of the derrick 40 by means of a bracket 58. The upper section 56 rotates from an upright position as shown in FIGURE 4 by means of a double acting hydraulic actuator 60 which is connected between the I-beam 36 and the bracket 58 and supplied hydraulic fluid through a line 59.

When not in use, the upper section 56 will be rotated to the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 4 to meet clearance limits along the right of way. To rotate the upper section 56 to a horizontal position, hydraulic fluid pressurizes the actuator 60 and the two upper pistons are withdrawn into the lower cylinder. For vertically extending the upper section 56, hydraulic fluid is pumped into the actuator 60 and the two upper pistons extend from the lower cylinder. The operation of double acting actuators is well documented in the literature and additional description is not believed necessary. In the upright position the upper section 56 is bolted by means of bolts 57 to the lower section 48 through flanges 62 and 64 to form one continuous derrick.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the derrick 40 includes parallel members 65 and 67 containing slides for smooth operation of a hammer 66 from a lower position as shown in FIGURE 1 to a driving position as shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 2. To maintain the beams in a parallel relationship, the lower section 48 has a spacer 68 welded thereto and the upper section 56 has a similar spacer 70 to which is attached a crown block 72. The crown block 72 includes a freely rotating sheave 73 over which a cable 74 passes as it lifts the hammer 66. The hammer 66 is secured to one end of the cable 74 which extends upwardly between the glides of the derrick 40 and passes over the sheave 73. After passing over the sheave 73, the cable 74 extends downwardly through a block and tackle assembly 76 as shown in FIGURE 5. The block and tackle 76 is supported in position by means of a triangular shaped frame including channel supports 78, 80, 102, and 104. An actuator 106 operates the lower movable block 98 to increase the displacement between the two opposing blocks. Hydraulic fluid for operating the block and tackle 76 is pumped to the actuator 106 through a hose 84 from the storage tank 21. Fluid from the actuator 106 is returned to the storage tank 21 through a line 85.

Referring to FIGURES and 6, there is shown an expanded view of the hydraulically operated block and tackle 76 including a stationary block 96 and the movable block 98. The stationary block 96 is attached to a cross brace 100 between channel 78 and channel 102 of the triangular shaped frame. As shown in FIGURE 6, the stationary block 96 contains two pulleys 97 and 99 rotating freely on a shaft 101. The actuator 106 is bolted to the stationary block 96 and supported by a bracket 108 welded to an I-beam 110.

The movable block 98 moves from an upper position as shown to a lower position (shown in dotted outline) by means of a piston connection to the actuator 106. In the usual manner, if the stationary block 96 contains two freely rotating pulleys, then the movable block has three such pulleys mounted on a shaft 107. Thus, the cable 74 passes through the stationary block twice and makes three passes through the movable block 98. The lower block 98 travels in a cage; only the back half is shown in FIGURE 6, which consists of four angle irons supported at the upper end by a substantially rectangular frame 112 and at the lower end by brackets We ded to the subframe 16. The cage half shown in FIGURE 6 includes a front track 114 and a rear track 116 Which extend below the main frame 14 to the area of the carriage 10. This arrangement is duplicated in the cage half not shown. FIGURE 6 shows a rear view of the cage including the rear track 116 of the half visible in FIGURE 5 and a rear track 118 of the half not shown. The movable block 98 slides within the cage by means of a guide 120 and a pair of edge guards 122 (only one shown) on opposite sides of the blocks and engaging the front tracks.

To lift the hammer 66, hydraulic fluid pressurizes the actuator 106 through a connection 124, thereby extending the actuator piston and forcing the movable block 98 to a lower limit. As the block 98 travels between the two end positions, the amount of cable 74 between the two blocks increases by an amount proportional to the number of passes the cable makes through the opposing blocks. As explained previously, the cable 74 passes through the block 98 three times and through the block 96 twice, it is deadended at the upper block by a clamp 126. Thus, moving the block 98 over a given distance causes the cable 74 to lift the hammer 66 by an amount approximately five times the movement of the movable block. The mechanical advantage gained by the block and tackle system is also proportional to the number of times the cable 74 passes through the upper and lower blocks. This means the actuator 106 can be sized much smaller than if it had to lift the hammer 66 directly. The hammer 66 remains in a raised position so long as the actuator 106 is pressurized. Releasing the pressure from the actuator 106 causes the hydraulic fluid to return to the storage tank 21 through the line and the hammer 66 falls under the force of gravity from its raised position. As the hammer travels through the derrick 40, the movable block 98 travels from its lower limit to its upper limit. By properly weighting the movable block 98, the cable 74 remains tight after the hammer 66 has dropped and come into contact with a pole. This is in contrast to the winding drum systems which allowed the cable to become slack with the result that the cable frequently became tangled in the operating mechanism.

To orient the derrick 40 about a vertical axis, in either its short tie or long tie position, a pair of lead position actuators 86 (only one shown) are mounted to the sub frame 16 and to pivotal connections located under protecting hoods 89, 91 on the lower derrick 48. A stop 88 restricts the pivotal movement of the derrick 40 in the direction of the subframe 16.

Referring to FIGURE 7, there is shown an enlarged view of the lower section 48 and one of the two lead position actuators 86. The cylinder section of the actuators 86 is pinned to a bracket and supplied hydraulic fluid through lines 92 and 93 through a pump (not shown) supplying fluid from the storage tank 21. The piston portion of the actuator 86 pivotally connects to the lower derrick section 48 by means of a bracket 94 within the protecting hood 89. In the position shown in FIGURE 7, the actuator 86 has rotated the derrick 40 counterclockwise about the shaft 46. Note the entire derrick rotates including the acuator 60. By means of this rotatable feature, an operator at the controls 24 may position the derrick 40 to drive a pole at an angle with respect to the vertical. The rotatable derrick feature also permits the operator to compensate for any tilting of the unit when in operation.

Where pole driving is to be carried out on both sides of a right of way, the unit must be rotated 180. Referring to FIGURE 8, there is shown a turntable including a base 128 having a top plate 130 rotatably mounted with respect to a bearing plate 132 by means of nut 135 on a threaded shaft 137. A ring of ball bearings 134 separates the plates 130, 132 and provides a low friction coupling between these two plates. A piston 136 movable within a cylinder 138 couples the bearing plate 132 to the main frame 14. The cylinder 138 is attached to the main frame 14 by means of brackets 140 and 142 and supplied hydraulic fluid through a line 143. Four guide posts 144 maintain the bearing plate 132 in a fixed position with respect to the main frame 14. These guide posts move vertically through sleeves 146.

To rotate the entire unit, hydraulic fluid pressurizes the cylinder 138 thereby lowering the base 128 to the ground. After the base 128 is firmly supported, additional hydraulic fluid is pumped into the cylinder 138 there-by raising the entire unit from the tracks 12. The unit can be easily rotated through 360 on the ball bearings 134 between the plates 130 and 132. This turntable also finds application when the unit is to be removed from the right of way. In such a situation, the unitwould be rotated only 90 and then lowered onto a set of cross tracks.

While only one embodiment of the invention, together with modifications thereof, has been described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident that various further modifications are possible in the arrangement and construction of its components without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A reciprocating hammer pole driver platform mounted to a running gear and including a supporting frame, comprising:

a parallel beam derrick mounted to said supporting frame in a substantially vertical position, said parallel beams each containing slides for guiding said hammer as it travels the length of said derrick,

a crown block and sheave assembly located at the topmost end of said derrick,

a flexible cable traveling over said crown block sheave and attached to said hammer,

an actuator attached to said support frame in a position to the rear of said parallel beam derrick and below said crown block and including a movable member,

a first pulley block fastened at one end of said actuator toward said crown block,

a second pulley block fastened to the movable member of said actuator and movable therewith to lift said hammer to an upper position by means of said flexible cable winding through said first and second pulley blocks, and

a pulley block cage fastened to said supporting frame at an angle with respect to a vertical orientation and containing said second pulley block to provide a ramp type track for said second block.

2. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 1 including means for weighting said track mounted pulley block to maintain said cable taut during the downward movement of said hammer.

3. A reciprocating hammer pole driver platform mounted to a running gear and including a supporting frame, comprising:

a derrick bracket attached to the upper edge of said supporting frame,

a parallel beam derrick mounted to said derrick bracket and rotatable to maintain a substantially vertical position, said parallel beams each containing slides for guiding said hammer as it travels the length of said derrick,

a crown block and sheave assembly at the uppermost end of said derrick,

a flexible cable winding over said crown block sheave and attached to said hammer,

an actuator attached to said support frame in a position to the rear of said parallel beam derrick and below said crown block and including a movable member,

a first pulley block fastened at one end of said actuator toward said crown block,

a second pulley block fastened to the movable member of said actuator and movable therewith to lift said hammer to an upper position by means of said flexible cable winding through said first and second pulley blocks,

a pulley block cage fastened to said support frame at an angle with respect to a vertical orientationiand containing said second pulley block to provide a ramp type track for said second block, and

adjusting means fastened to said supporting frame at said platform and engaging said derrick to maintain said derrick in a substantially vertical position.

4. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 3 wherein said adjusting means includes a pair of hydraulic cylinders each fastened to said supporting frame and having pistons attached to separate beams of said derrick.

5. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 4 wherein said derrick bracket includes means to rotate the upper section of said parallel beam derrick with respect to a lower section thereby lowering the overall height of said derrick when traveling from one operating location to another. 7

6. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 5 wherein said derrick bracket includes means for rotatably supporting said derrick in one of two positions.

7. A reciprocating hammer pole driver platform mounted to a running gear and including a supporting frame, comprising:

a derrick bracket attached to the upper edge of said supporting frame,

a parallel beam derrick mounted to said derrick bracket and maintained substantially vertically oriented, said parallel beams each containing slides for guiding said hammer as it travels the length of said derrick.

a crown block and sheave assembly located at the uppermost end of said derrick,

a flexible cable winding over said crown block sheave and attached to said hammer,

adjusting means fastened to said supporting frame at said platform and engaging said derrick to maintain said derrick in a substantially vertical orientation,

an actuator attached to said support frame in a position to the rear of said parallel beam derrick and below said crown block and including a movable member,

a first pulley block fastened at one end of said actuator toward said crown block, and

a cage mounted pulley block connected to the movable member of said actuator and constrained to move at an angle with respect to said parallel beam derrick, said flexible cable winding through said first and said cage mounted pulley blocks.

8. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 7 including means for weighting said cage mounted pulley block to maintain said cable taut as said hammer free falls to a lower position.

9. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 7 wherein said adjusting means includes a pair of hydraulic cylinders connected to said supporting frame and having pistons connected to separate beams of said derrick.

10. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim 9 wherein said derrick bracket includes means to rotate the upper section of said derrick relative to the lower section thereby lowering the overall height of said derrick when transporting the pole driver from one operating location to another.

11. A reciprocating hammer pole driver platform mounted to a running gear and including a supporting frame, comprising:

a parallel beam derrick pivotally mounted to said supporting frame to be substantially vertically oriented, said parallel beams each containing slides for guiding said hammer as it travels the length of said derrick,

a crown block sheave assembly located at the uppermost end of said derrick,

cable means winding over said crown block sheave and attached to said hammer,

first pulley block attached to said supporting frame in a position to the rear of said parallel beam derrick and below said crown block,

cage mounted pulley block positioned relative to the first and constrained to move at an angle with respect to said parallel beam derrick, said cable means winding through said first and second pulley blocks as it travels over the crown block sheave, hydraulic cylinder attached to said first pulley block and having a piston attached to said cage rnounted pulley block to move said blocks relative to each other thereby lifting said hammer to an upper position and permitting free falling operation to a lower position, and

pair of hydraulic cylinders fastened to said supporting platform having pistons engaging separate beams of said derrick to pivot said derrick about a substantially vertical axis.

12. A reciprocating hammer pole driver as set forth in claim '11 wherein said cage mounted pulley block is weighted to maintain said cable tight as the hammer falls free to a lower position.

References Cited UNITED 15 JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

